Health literacy, a more complex concept than knowledge, is a required capacity to obtain, understand, integrate and act on health information [1], in order to enhance individual and community health, which is defined by different levels, according to the autonomy and personal capacitation in decision making [2]. Medium levels of Health literacy in an adolescent population were found in a study conducted in 2013/2014, being higher in sexual and reproductive health and lower in substance use. It was also noticed that the higher levels of health literacy were in the area adolescents refer to have receipt more health information. The health literacy competence with higher scores was communication skills, and the lower scores were in the capacity to analyze factors that influence health. Higher levels were also found in younger teenagers, but in a higher school level, confirming the importance of health education in these age and development stage. Adolescents seek more information in health professionals and parents, being friends more valued as a source information in older adolescents, which enhance the importance of peer education mainly in older adolescents [3]. As a set of competences based on knowledge, health literacy should be developed through education interventions, encompassing the cultural and social context of individuals, since the society, culture and education system where the individual is inserted can define the way the development and enforcement of the health literacy competences [4]. The valued sources of information should be taken into account, as well as needs of information in some topics referred by adolescents in an efficient health education. Schizophrenia is a serious and chronic mental illness which has a profound effect on the health and well-being related with the well-known nature of psychotic symptoms. The exercise has the potential to improve the life of people with schizophrenia improving physical health and alleviating psychiatric symptoms. However, most people with schizophrenia remains sedentary and lack of access to exercise programs are barriers to achieve health benefits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise on I) the type of intervention in mental health, II) in salivary levels of alpha-amylase and cortisol and serum levels of S100B and BDNF, and on III) the quality of life and selfperception of the physical domain of people with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 31 females in long-term institutions in the Casa de Saúde Rainha Santa Isabel, with age between 25 and 63, and with diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Physical fitness was assessed by the six-minute walk distance test (6MWD). Biological variables were determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). Psychological variables were assessed using SF-36, PSPP-SCV, RSES and SWLS tests. Walking exercise has a positive impact on physical fitness (6MWD -p = 0.001) and physical components of the psychological test...
Do crisis evolve linearly through sequential one‐directional stages that end with their resolution? Or are crisis, a set of nonlinear events with somewhat a chaotic nature, better represented as multilayer relapse cycles, that is, a series of dynamic processes and templates that evolve at different levels of analysis and can either go forward—achievement—or go back—relapses? Moreover, should crisis always move forward to reach their resolution or should we strive to achieve social systems resilience, grounded on learning and adaptation processes, that is, moving forward and backwards, until achieving it? To argument in favor of achieving crisis resilience, we propose a theoretical model—the crisis layers and thresholds (CLT) model grounded on the following assumptions: (a) individuals' evaluations and responses should be the basis/core of crisis management and crisis communication activities; (b) different concurrent psychosocial and organizational processes occur at different levels of analysis of a crisis, from a microindividual level to a macro organization level; and (c) rather than striving for crisis resolution, we should strive for crisis resilience, preparing the social system for current and future emerging risks and crisis. To implement effective evidence‐based crisis management and crisis communication in line with such assumptions, we also propose the CLT‐ResiliScence approach, an Information and Communication Technology‐mediated crisis sensing approach. This is based on monitoring “social sensors” data, particularly from social media, as an important source of information. Examples of this will be provided based on research on the current COVID‐19 pandemic.
We undertake a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature to arrive at recommendations for shaping communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings. Climate communications often report on scientific findings that contain different sources of uncertainty. Potential users of these communications are members of the general public, as well as decision makers and climate advisors from government, business and non-governmental institutions worldwide. Many of these users may lack formal training in climate science or related disciplines. We systematically review the English-language peer-reviewed empirical literature from cognitive and behavioral sciences and related fields, which examines how users perceive communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings. We aim to summarize how users’ responses to communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings are associated with characteristics of the decision context, including climate change consequences and types of uncertainty as well as user characteristics, such as climate change beliefs, environmental worldviews, political ideology, numerical skills, and others. We also aimed to identify what general recommendations for communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings can be delineated. We find that studies of communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings substantially varied in how they operationalized uncertainty, as well as how they measured responses. Studies mostly focused on uncertainty stemming from conflicting information, such as diverging model estimates or experts, or from expressions of imprecision such as ranges. Among other things, users’ understanding was improved when climate communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings were presented with explanations about why climate information was uncertain, and when ranges were presented with lower and upper numerical bounds. Users’ understanding also improved if they expressed stronger beliefs about climate change, or had better numerical skills. Based on these findings, we provide emerging recommendations on how to best present communications about uncertainty in scientific climate-related findings; and we identify research gaps.
Background During events that involve health risks, people may feel the need personal and social resources to cope with the demands posed by event. Depending on their individual characteristics, people may perceive their resources as sufficient or as insufficient to face the situation. Risk perception analysis was conducted in Portugal during the COVID-19 outbreak, to develop communication strategies, customized to the changing needs, helping people make informed decisions. Methods Citizens messages on social networks of 3 official information sources, and 8 media sources were analyzed between 26th January and 5th March 2020. A sample of comments to publications related to COVID-19 were analyzed in 4-days periods and categorized. A qualitative theory-driven thematic analysis was carried out based on two global categories: Demands and Resources. From this analysis, the threat level ratio (Demands/Resources) was calculated. Results A total of 8,251 comments were analysed in 10 periods of 4 days of data collection, from 26th January to 5th March. The threat level ratio increased during the first 15 days of analysis, having its maximum (6.80) in the period between the 7th and 14th of February, mostly associated with the perceived danger associated with the lack of airports arrivals control from China. After the announcement of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a Portuguese citizen outside Portugal, on 23rd February, the risk perception increased 1,4% compared to the previous period of analysis. On the contrary, after announcing the first confirmed case in Portugal, on the 1st March, the risk perception decreased 1,6%, which is inferred to be associated with a shift in the media discourse and to the use of humour. Conclusions Awareness of risks is a necessary condition for people to adhere to the necessary recommendations to mitigate the crisis. During an epidemic, an effective communication strategy can become an opportunity to promote health literacy. Key messages Risk perception is essential to define effective communication strategies to promote health literacy and best practices among targeted populations. effective communication strategies customized to people’s needs and priorities help people making informed decisions during a public health emergency.
With the increased frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events potentiated by climate change, a better understanding of social systems' resilience and adaptation strategies to these has been established as a research priority at the individual and community levels. Because such events have the potential to interfere with individuals' current needs and goals, this motivates them to evaluate the demands posed by the event and the available resources to cope with them. This, in turn, greatly determines the implemented coping strategies' effectiveness. Exploring these demands and resources appraisals by coding their indicators and decoding their functions is an important step in promoting resilience and adaptation strategies, in face of future extreme weather events. As a contribution, we propose a theory-driven data collection and coding framework (DeCodeR) for analysing such appraisals, grounded on the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat Appraisals (BPS Model). This framework was pilot tested with a sample of 159 participants (33 male; 126 female), and further specified in terms of sub-categories of Demands (Danger; Effort; Uncertainty) and Resources (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities; Dispositions; External Support) that may emerge in extreme weather events. Policymakers, practitioners and researchers can capitalize on this work and develop evidence-based strategies to promote human resilience and adaptation to extreme weather events, based on identified resources/demands. This can be achieved by enhancing individual's personal and social/community resources to cope with the demands posed by present and future events.
Non-adherence to health recommendations (e.g. medical prescriptions)
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